An EU referendum by the end of 2017 is among a of new laws in the first Conservative Queen’s Speech in nearly two decades.

The programme also includes extra free childcare, an income tax freeze and the right-to-buy for housing association tenants.

The proposed legislation includes a ban on income tax, VAT and national insurance increases for five years. Not only that but there will be a freeze on working age benefits, tax credits and child benefit for two years from 2016 to 2017. By 2017, there will be 30 hours free childcare a week for three and four year olds. Adding to this list is 500 more free schools and those schools that are failing will be turned into academies.

The total amount that one household can claim in benefits will be cut from £26,000 to £23,000. The NHS should be improved by 2020, which is good news for all of those who felt that the NHS was sinking.

During the general election campaign, the Conservatives promised many of the proposed new laws and this now means that David Cameron can press ahead with plans that were previously blocked by the Liberal Democrats.

Despite this, the prime minister has delayed the plans to scrap the Human Rights Act; this is to avoid a potential confrontation with his own backbenchers. As a result of this, the government will bring forward proposals for a British Bill of Rights to replace the Human Rights Act, with legislation expected proceeding consultation in parliament in future.

The environment secretary Liz Truss said that the vote for the ban on fox hunting would happen by 2020.